Gene Predicts Better Outcome as Cortex Normalizes in Teens with ADHD

Brain areas that control attention were thinnest in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/adhdmenu.cfm) who carried a particular version of a gene in a study by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). However, the areas, on the right side of the brain’s outer mantle, or cortex, normalized in thickness during the teen years in these children, coinciding with clinical improvement. Although this particular gene version increased risk for ADHD, it also predicted better clinical outcomes and higher IQ than two other common versions of the same gene in youth with ADHD.